Evan Sinton, better known by his stage name Maala (also stylised as MAALA), is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. He is best known for his songs "Touch" and "Kind of Love", and for coming third on the second series of ''New Zealand's Got Talent'' in 2012. In 2016, he won Best Male Solo Artist at the

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

''New Zealand's Got Talent''

In 2012, under his birth name, Evan Sinton auditioned for series two of ''New Zealand's Got Talent'' with

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' " Blackbird". Sinton qualified for the semi-final, with judge

Jason Kerrison Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...

praising his voice, saying "it's distinctive, it's unique". In the semi-final, Sinton performed

Screamin' Jay Hawkins Jalacy J. "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, film producer, and boxer. Famed chiefly for his powerful, operatic vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of s ...

's song "

I Put a Spell on You "I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written and composed by Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins, whose own recording of it was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also included in Rober ...

". Sinton placed in the top three in the semi-final, and made it to the final on the judges' vote. In the final, Sinton performed the

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

song "

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" is the second single by American singer-actress Cher from her second album, ''The Sonny Side of Chér''. It was written by her husband Sonny Bono and released in 1966. The song reached No. 3 in the UK Singles C ...

". He finished third from the public vote.

Solo career

In 2013, following his appearance on New Zealand's Got Talent, Sinton was signed to Sony Music New Zealand. He supported ''The X Factor'' Australia winner

Reece Mastin Reece Mastin (born 24 November 1994) is an English-born Australian singer and songwriter who won the third season of ''The X Factor Australia'' in 2011. Mastin subsequently signed with Sony Music Australia. His debut single "Good Night" reache ...

on his 2013 New Zealand tour. Sinton went on to release the EP ''Phosphenes'', from which came the singles "Tables and Chairs" and "Prisoner's Cinema".

MAALA

In 2015, Sinton adopted the stage name MAALA. He used the name to separate himself from his ''New Zealand's Got Talent'' identity and to reflect the new direction of his music. He chose the name MAALA because it "looked cool on paper". MAALA initially released the singles "Touch" and "In the AIr", followed by a self-titled EP. In July 2015, "Touch" was long-listed for the 2015 Silver Scroll award, credited to Sinton and the song's co-writers Jaden Parkes and Josh Fountain. In 2016, the single "Kind of Love" was released, followed by MAALA's debut album, ''Composure''. Later in 2016, MAALA was nominated for four

, and won Best Male Solo Artist.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Notes

Awards and nominations

!scope="col", , - , align="center" , 2015 , Evan Sinton/Jaden Parkes/Josh Fountain – "Touch" ,

APRA Silver Scroll The APRA Music Awards are several annual and two-yearly award ceremonies run in New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members. APRA hold the annual Silver S ...

, , align="center" , , - , align="center" rowspan="5" , 2016 , MAALA ,

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...

– Best New Zealand Act , , align="center" , , - , "Kind of Love" ,

– Single of the Year , , align="center" rowspan="4" , , - , MAALA (''Composure'') ,

– Best Male Solo Artist , , - , ''Composure'' ,

– Best Pop Album , , - , MAALA ,

– People's Choice Award , , -

References

External links

Official website

Facebook page

Soundcloud page

YouTube channel
{{authority control 21st-century New Zealand male singers New Zealand male singer-songwriters New Zealand singer-songwriters New Zealand pop singers Musicians from Auckland Got Talent contestants Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Sony Music New Zealand artists